TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA) started the ball rolling for the much-awaited reunification process of the various factions of the fragmented Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) pursuant to their commitment to Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza for them to get their acts together to strengthen the renewed quest for regional autonomy in the Cordillera.
Henry Gupaal, CBA Secretary-General, said some 20 zone commanders from Mountain Province and Kalinga belonging to the Conrado Dieza faction gathered at the Provincial Capitol Wednesday night to reorganize their officers in preparation for the reunification process that will be undertaken anytime before the scheduled meeting with President Rodrigo R. Duterte either in Manila or in any part of the region.
“We are happy that the zone commanders decided based on consensus which is a good sign that there is a big chance for us to unify the fragmented organization. What is important is we are still one in fighting for the region’s autonomy, one the major demands of the CPLA during the peace negotiations with the government in Mount Data over three decades ago,” Gupaal stressed.
The CBA official revealed the zone commanders decided themselves to name Juanita Chulsi as the CPLA commander for the Dureza faction while Drew Walis was named as the chief of staff and Diesa remained as their liaison officer for the meantime.
Gupaal claimed the reunification of the CPLA factions is one of the major peace and order programs of the Kalinga provincial government to instill lasting peace not only in the province but also in the whole region once autonomy will be realized in the future.
According to him, for us long as the struggle for autonomy remains, the CPLA will exist because it will only be extinguished once autonomy is achieved in the region hopefully through the help of the present administration.
Gupaal pointed out the CBA will also start working out the selection of desired CPLA officers among the various factions before the organization will call for all the designated officials to work out the reunification process which according to him is doable at this time.
Aside from the Dieza faction, other CPLA factions that exist include that of former Bucloc Mayor Mailed Molina, Abra Vice governor Ronald Balaw-as, Alfredo Humiding and Gabino Ganggangan, and Andrew Cos-agon.
Earlier, the officials of the feuding CPLA factions met at Mount Data, Bauko, Mountain Province last April 24, 2017, and committed to unifying the organization for the sake of the realization of the long overdue clamor for regional autonomy which is now being supported by the present administration.
Secretary Dureza called on all factions of the CPLA to unite considering that no cause is lost as they have the common aspiration for the realization of regional autonomy that will contribute in spurring economic growth regionwide in the future.
By HENT
